Members of the Augusta Stars racked up the medals at the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games Memorial Day weekend at Emory University.
Twenty-seven athletes in the Stars, a Special Olympics Georgia agency, brought home nine gold, 23 silver and two bronze medals in addition to 11 fourth place and three fifth place finishes in swimming, volleyball and tennis.
Swimmers can compete in up to two events and participate in a relay. Adult swimmers (22 and older) competed in several events such as 25M freestyle: Raven Allen, gold, and Mikaela Smith; silver: Eric Welch, Jon Lambert, Antonio Rodriguez and Joseph Cruz; bronze: Corey Hudson; fourth: Ashlyn Price, and Stacey Yarbrough; fifth; Jeffrey Keating and Joshua Ekechukwu; 50M freestyle: Eric Welch, silver; Raven Allen and Mikeala Smith, bronze; Antonio Rodríguez; fourth; Jon Lambert, Corey Hudson and Jeffrey Keating, fifth; Joshua Ekechukwu; 50M backstroke: Stacey Yarbrough, gold.
Swimmers (ages 8-21): 25M freestyle: Amelia Vitacco, silver: Morgan Guiton and Justin Lawton; fourth; Christian Norton; 50M freestyle: Amelia Vitacco, gold; Morgan Guiton and Christian Norton, silver.
Level A Swimming is the designation for those with mobility issues and consists of 15M walk, 15M flotation, 25M flotation, 10M assisted and 15M unassisted. Noah Williams took home fourth place in the 10M assisted.
The Augusta Stars continues to develop its swim teams and fielded two 25M Freestyle Relay teams at this years’ games.
Team 1 (last year’s team) consisted of Jon Lambert, Corey Hudson, Eric Welch and Raven Allen. Coached by Vernon Broom, the team brought home the gold. Team 2 (new team) consisted of Ashlyn Price, Mikela Smith, Christian Norton, and Antonio Gonzalez; coached by Michael Smith and finished in fourth place.
Josh Ekechukwu joined Douglas County with their relay team finished in fourth place.
The volleyball team consisted of Erica Rothwell, Eric Barclay, Theresa Nixon, Gary Smith, Robert Smith, Brandy Storey. Jessalyn Gillmore, Zach Gillmore, Cindy Isbell and Chris Powell. The team played three separate teams for a total of four games, winning a silver medal.
Doyle Campbell competed in two tennis matches, bringing home the silver from among four athletes competing in his division. He missed the gold by one point. They were tied when time ran out and finished by sudden death in overtime.
“I continue to very proud of our athletes and coaches for putting in the work, doing their best at competition and, most of all, being respectful,” said local Special Olympics coordinator, Kevin Enright.
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